Moving to Chicago area from Seattle, need advice. (Arlington Heights, Evanston: real estate, apartments)

[Cjmi11er]

I just got a job in Libertyville and am moving to the area sometime in the next few weeks. I am from Seattle and I am used to great food, fantastic pubs, scenic areas to jog and fairly easy access to everything. I plan on moving to the city in 6 months to a year but for now I am looking for something within an easy commute to Libertyville, that is inexpensive and has something of a night life. I am 37 active, love going to pubs, seeing live shows and great restaurants.

I would prefer the burbs until I get to know the area.

Thanks

[chitown85]

As you well know, the Chicagoland area is enormous. Some of the suburbs with decent nightlife are the downtowns of Libertyville itself, Arlington Heights, Evanston, and even Glenview (aka The Glen neighborhood). Unfortunately, none of them even come close to the city in terms of things to do, accessibility with public transit, etc.

[Avengerfire]

Well, what is your idea of an "easy commute" and what is your idea of "inexpensive?"

[chet everett]

The only part of the region that has anywhere near the numbers of singles and such that Seattle does are the nieghborhoods inside Chicago on the north side/lakefront.

Libertyville itself is a lovely place and has a handful of restaurants/bars, but it is many many mile removed from Chicago.

Our region is tuned to a much mire family oriented lifestyle and frankly is driven by higher priced real estate that leaves it very hard for musicians and such to live anywhere but the more stereotypically "hip urban" areas.

If you work in Lville and want a sane commute you are going to have a hard time finding anything Seattle-ish day to day. Get used to heading into Chicago on weekends...

[Cjmi11er]

Easy commute would be maybe 30 minutes by train or car. Inexpensive.. I'd like to get a one bedroom for under 900 a month. I plan on heading into the city on weekends to explore the day and night life and look for a more permanent address.

What I suppose I am asking is do any of these smaller burbs have a decent pub scene where you can grab a pint of guinness and listen to a decent live band, parks where you are unlikely to get mugged jogging, have a population that is young enough to be interesting but unlikely to ask me to a kegger is within 30 minute commute to both Libertyville and Chicago. Oh and if at all possible I'd like to be able to eat the cake as well.

[chet everett]

There are dozens of establishments that serve Guiness, but since some are sports bars and others are more roadhouse bars and some are more restaurants. None of em have much of a regular "hang out" feel like real pubs in the Emerald Isle, but then I don't think Seattle's unemployment is as high as Ireland's either...

Libertyville is very safe; far fewer muggings than Seattle.

Live music is not unheard in Libertyville, but if you want 7 days a week stuff that is harder to come by.

$900 is a maybe a little on the low side for the nicest apartments, as lots of places that cater to corporate relocate drive rents up, but there are options in your range.

[chitown85]

You may just be better off renting in Evanston. Your nightlife excursions into Chicago from Libertyville will be expensive. Evanston is much closer and has a great scene. Plus you don't have to drive far. The commute from Evanston to Libertyville won't be horrible---45 minutes. The Chicago burbs are generally boring especially the North burbs. Most entertainment centers are in the city, many of the bars, clubs, etc.

[chet everett]

I suppose if one were to get an apartment in Evanston that was near the Edens AND THE EDENS WAS NOT UNDERCONSTRUCTION it might not be too bad to get to Libertyville, but as it is clogged with repaving this might be a huge negative...

The other thing is that apartments near the Edens do not have much charm or nearby establishment for conviviality and I suspect one would need to drive or take transit to the more central parts of Evanston which would even more to ones daily commute...

I sort of hate taking public transit from Evanston to the north side nightspots on either weeknights or weekends, as every stop adds to the uncomfortable likelihood that a ne'er do well will hop on the El or some untidy person will expel there bodily fluids on/ near the train, and thus I tend to drive, but I do understand that for some that transit is a plus even though it adds a lot of time to the journey...

Rents in Evanston seem high to ne for what you get, where as Lake Co has some betteer values especially for a single person.

Boils down to what sort of time you are willing to spend day in day out in traffic to have different set of compromises.

[Aleking]

Originally Posted by chitown85

You may just be better off renting in Evanston. Your nightlife excursions into Chicago from Libertyville will be expensive. Evanston is much closer and has a great scene. Plus you don't have to drive far. The commute from Evanston to Libertyville won't be horrible---45 minutes. The Chicago burbs are generally boring especially the North burbs. Most entertainment centers are in the city, many of the bars, clubs, etc.

Probably the best idea and there is enough night life in Evanston to keep things from being too dull. And as a transitional area, it will also will give him a good idea of which way he'd like to swing in the future, further out in the suburbs, or into the city. On the downside the commute will likely end up more like 1 hr.

And you can definitely get a decent 1 bdrm in Evanston for 900 or so.

[cubssoxfan]

1 Bedroom in Evanston on or near Central Av and west of Green Bay puts you within 15 minutes of the Edens via Central & Old Orchard Rd. You have the Central St. business district near by and you are a short bike ride bus ride or cab ride to downtown Evanston. Check out downtown Arlington Heights also. Not as big or entertaining as Evanston but decent for suburbia. You are 45 minutes from Libertyville. Libertyville has the advantage of being close to work, close to Des Plaines river trail for biking and running and is close via car to many restaurants, bars, shopping and theater.